County seeking firm to lobby at state capital

Published: Saturday, December 8, 2012 at 6:31 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, December 8, 2012 at 6:31 p.m.

Marion County is again seeking to hire a lobbyist to usher its issues through the halls of power in the state capital.

Seven Tallahassee-based firms have answered the county's request to be its new lobbying firm. Their applications will be reviewed by a committee of county officials on Monday, when the final list will be reduced to three finalists.

The County Commission is expected to award the contract next month.

Among other duties, the winning agency would advocate for at least one major county initiative during the Legislature's annual session, track legislation and administrative rules that can affect Marion County, set up meetings with key state policy-makers and draft talking points and testimony for county elected officials and staff, county documents indicate.

County Administrator Lee Niblock told the board during a workshop on Friday that by focusing on one main issue the county was going for a "much smaller presence" during next year's legislative session, and at a fraction of the cost compared to when Marion County went this route previously.

In January 2007, the county hired Southern Strategy Group to do its lifting in Tallahassee.

The initial contract called for the county to pay the firm $84,000 a year.

County commissioners renewed that deal in January 2010 for $60,000 a year.

But in August 2011, the board severed its relationship with the firm, citing budget constraints, according to a letter Niblock wrote to Paul Bradshaw, the firm's president.

Niblock also noted in that letter that the commission was letting Southern Strategy Group go because of the commissioners' own "active involvement in state legislative issues."

Niblock also put Jeannie Rickman, director of the county's Office of Strategic Services, in charge of monitoring new legislation from Tallahassee.

Marion County also has a federal lobbyist in Washington, Alcalde & Fay.

The commission hired that group in February 2006, also at $60,000 a year, and keeps them on retainer today.

Before hiring Southern Strategy Group, the county about a decade ago had deployed Natalie Kelly, a former county resident, to be its voice in Tallahassee at a cost of $25,000 a year.

Kelly's firm is one of the seven vying to win the new contract.

To many communities across the country, lobbyists have become indispensable.

In a report last year, the Center for Responsive Politics, a campaign finance watchdog group, pointed out that local governments in the U.S. spent a combined $77.4 million on federal lobbyists during 2010.

That was down from a peak of $83 million in 2009, the center noted, but it was up dramatically from the $27.7 million local officials doled out in 1998.

<p>Marion County is again seeking to hire a lobbyist to usher its issues through the halls of power in the state capital.</p><p>Seven Tallahassee-based firms have answered the county's request to be its new lobbying firm. Their applications will be reviewed by a committee of county officials on Monday, when the final list will be reduced to three finalists.</p><p>The County Commission is expected to award the contract next month.</p><p>Among other duties, the winning agency would advocate for at least one major county initiative during the Legislature's annual session, track legislation and administrative rules that can affect Marion County, set up meetings with key state policy-makers and draft talking points and testimony for county elected officials and staff, county documents indicate.</p><p>County Administrator Lee Niblock told the board during a workshop on Friday that by focusing on one main issue the county was going for a "much smaller presence" during next year's legislative session, and at a fraction of the cost compared to when Marion County went this route previously.</p><p>In January 2007, the county hired Southern Strategy Group to do its lifting in Tallahassee.</p><p>The initial contract called for the county to pay the firm $84,000 a year.</p><p>County commissioners renewed that deal in January 2010 for $60,000 a year.</p><p>But in August 2011, the board severed its relationship with the firm, citing budget constraints, according to a letter Niblock wrote to Paul Bradshaw, the firm's president.</p><p>Niblock also noted in that letter that the commission was letting Southern Strategy Group go because of the commissioners' own "active involvement in state legislative issues."</p><p>Niblock also put Jeannie Rickman, director of the county's Office of Strategic Services, in charge of monitoring new legislation from Tallahassee.</p><p>Marion County also has a federal lobbyist in Washington, Alcalde & Fay.</p><p>The commission hired that group in February 2006, also at $60,000 a year, and keeps them on retainer today.</p><p>Before hiring Southern Strategy Group, the county about a decade ago had deployed Natalie Kelly, a former county resident, to be its voice in Tallahassee at a cost of $25,000 a year.</p><p>Kelly's firm is one of the seven vying to win the new contract.</p><p>To many communities across the country, lobbyists have become indispensable.</p><p>In a report last year, the Center for Responsive Politics, a campaign finance watchdog group, pointed out that local governments in the U.S. spent a combined $77.4 million on federal lobbyists during 2010.</p><p>That was down from a peak of $83 million in 2009, the center noted, but it was up dramatically from the $27.7 million local officials doled out in 1998.</p><p><i>Contact Bill Thompson at 867-4117 or at bill.thompson@starbanner.com</i></p>